What Came After
by Sydella
Summary: A glimpse of what happened after Teito was reincarnated. One-sided Frau x Teito.


Frau had been walking for quite a while-or perhaps gliding was a more appropriate term, considering his new physical state. Naturally, he was already familiar with the sensation of being incorporeal, since he had once been Zehel. However, being Verloren's successor still took some getting used to. Frau sighed as he mentally reviewed a long list of humans on their deathbeds. He had been working all day, there had been so many deaths recently-and oh, look, yet another name had just appeared.

Deciding to rest for a while, he sat on a bench and let his thoughts wander. Then, unexpectedly, a small, red object came rolling towards him. Curious, he bent and picked it up. To his surprise, it was the Eye of Mikhail. He held it up to eye level.

"Mikhail?" he said warily. "Are you all right?"

The archangel's voice responded instantly. "I'm all right. No thanks to Mikage."

Frau chuckled. The little pink dragon of which Mikhail spoke came bounding up to them, as if it had heard Mikhail say its name. Frau reached out to stroke the dragon's fur, but Mikage caught sight of a stray cat and chased after it. Frau turned his attention back to the Eye.

"I haven't seen you for a while," he remarked.

Mikhail made a noncommittal noise. "Well, gods never have much time to spare."

"True." Frau lit a cigarette and exhaled plumes of smoke. "Seriously, though. I've been a little worried about you."

"Worried? You? About me?" Mikhail laughed. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"I'm saying it now." Frau delicately held the Eye in a cupped palm. "I heard about the Chief of Heaven's decision to make you remain in this world."

"Oh, you heard about that?" Mikhail's voice was tinged with unease. Frau imagined the archangel trapped inside squirming.

"Yeah, I heard."

The Eye sat silently in Frau's palm for a while, and Frau wondered if Mikhail had gone to sleep. Then: "If it's for my master's sake, I accept my fate."

"Do you really?" Frau studied the Eye and it stared back inscrutably.

Mikhail sighed. "The Chief's will must be carried out. All worlds would cease functioning were it not for the Chief's wisdom and mercy," the archangel intoned.

Frau scoffed. "If you have problems with the big guy up there, just say so. I of all people understand what that feels like."

"Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" Mikhail sounded suspicious. "We have never exactly been friends."

"Yeah, but we've never been enemies either." Frau gently placed the Eye beside him on the bench. "Go on. If you're feeling troubled, get it off your chest."

"Your personality has improved tremendously," Mikhail remarked drily. "Perhaps being Verloren's successor has done you some good after all."

"Perhaps." Frau smiled faintly.

Mikhail paused. "I suppose a part of me did want to return to Heaven. As much as I want to keep protecting my master, I long to stretch my wings and fly again. But my master needs me, especially now that he's going to restore the Raggs kingdom."

As if summoned, a little boy with brown hair and green eyes emerged from a nearby house and chased after Mikage. The boy, intently focused on the dragon, did not look at either Frau or the Eye. He was soon out of sight.

Frau smiled sadly. "Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Mikhail sounded resigned. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something."

Frau nodded. "What is it?"

"Were you in love with him?" the archangel asked.

The green-eyed boy reappeared, carrying Mikage, who squeaked at the sight of the Eye and flew out of the boy's arms to retrieve it. Frau carefully placed it in Mikage's mouth.

"Thanks, sir!" The boy beamed. "Mikage likes it very much. I don't know why."

Frau smiled, even as he felt like crying. "You're welcome. Run along, now."

Later, as he resumed his duties, Frau pondered Mikhail's question, which he had not answered. It was a simple question, really, and Frau had a simple answer.

"Yes," he said softly to himself, as he gathered souls and observed the endless processions of the living and the dead. "Yes, I was in love with Teito Klein. I loved him like no other."

**EPILOGUE**

As he lay on his deathbed, the Pope felt as if he was on the cusp of something. How strange that he should feel like this when he was already nearing the end of his life. Before he could think further on the matter, however, the unmistakable figure of Death appeared right before his very eyes.

"I'm ready," he croaked.

Death stared at him. Despite its swirling, hooded black cloak, it did not look quite like how many humans imagined Death. A handsome face with a strong jaw, framed by blonde hair, peeked out from beneath the cloak's hood. Warm blue eyes examined the Pope. Something stirred in his memories, but it was gone before he could identify it.

"I'm ready," he repeated.

Death smiled a sorrowful, tender and wistful smile, inhumanly beautiful in the way only a god's smile can be. "Yes, you are."

And the scythe descended like an angel's prayer falling from the heavens, and Teito Klein's life was no more.


End file.
